Of all the city government's agencies and departments, it's usually the big names that get the lions share of criticism from residents. The schools, the DMV, the public libraries, the Department of Public Works -- it's these that we're all quick to point to as proof of government incompetence. But with the fire that destroyed an entire building in Adams Morgan on Monday, it was the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) that came under fire for the second significant time this year.

As has been widely reported, firefighters' efforts were hampered by low water pressure, product of a century-old six-inch water main that had been slated for replacement for the last seven years. The smaller-than-usual water main left firefighters with a mere 600 gallons of water a minute, less than the necessary 3,500 gallons they usually have access to. In response, they used over 7,000 feet of fire hoses to draw water from Connecticut Avenue and 16th Street, costing them valuable time.

WASA argues that the six-inch main -- there are 170 miles worth throughout the District, adding up to 13 percent of the city's network -- has already been scheduled for replacement, part of a 20-year plan to upgrade the District's water infrastructure. But with the many recent scandals involving the agency, action and accountability are sorely needed. It was earlier this year that WASA came under attack after firefighters' efforts at the Georgetown Public Library were stymied by broken fire hydrants. A later investigation found that up to 10 percent of the city's 9,000 hydrants did not work. And no one will soon forget the lead pipe scare of 2004, either.

If WASA wanted trouble, they could not have picked a better place than Adams Morgan. Not only is the neighborhood the province of Council member Jim Graham -- who has become well known for his "Grahamstanding" after pretty much any type of incident in his ward -- but he is also the chair of the Committee on Public Works and the Environment, which oversees the agency. This morning he announced his intentions to hold a hearing on the agency's recent troubles.

Of course, for all the trouble WASA might have, it can't be blamed for everything. After all, it's in the unenviable position of having to upgrade the city's water infrastructure, not really the type of thing one does overnight or all at once. We could only imagine the outcry if work crews suddenly started tearing up the city's streets and sidewalks to replace 170 miles worth of pipe at the same time. But WASA has proven supremely incapable of communicating with either other government agencies or the public -- a failure that has led to a number of public scares, and in this week's case, a fire that might have been stopped more quickly. We hope Graham's hearings serve to find out where WASA went wrong, how it can improve and what it can prioritize.